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7 tips to make you pwn at Call of Duty: Black Ops multiplayer

I love competition in video games. I enjoy playing against someone who is better than me in order to make myself better at Free-For-All and Team Deathmatch. So to increase the overall l33tness in Call of Duty: Black Ops, here are seven tips to make you better:

1. Play into the class

Don’t run around with a heavy weapon or a semi-automatic weapon. I have been caught doing the latter and I’ve caught many running around with a Light Machine Gun or Sniper Rifle. Your primary weapon sets the strategy of your class. If you are using the WA2000, you should be looking into an open area and waiting for enemies to pass by, not darting across open areas with Marathon. If you want to run around, try the AK47u with the Grip.

2. Hip Fire

It happens to the best of us, an enemy comes around the corner blasting unexpectedly. Teach yourself to hip fire first, and knife second. Chances are (if the enemy was caught off guard too) hip firing will score you the kill before they can aim down their sights. It’s also the best reaction if you are on a class made for sprinting.

3. Go slow around corners and down hallways

As you make your way around the map (and you don’t know where the enemies are located), be cautious. Keep your sights up and scanning windows and doorways as you turn corners and go down hallways.Running just increases your chance that you get shot by an enemy camping in an area that you didn’t expect. I’ve been down this road and it’s no fun turning a corner and not having enough time to even hip fire at the enemy. Remember if your character is running, he has to stop first than he will shoot; that extra second can save your life so slow down.

4. Listen and watch

Crank up the volume and equip Ninja Pro. Listen for footsteps and enemy fire around you. Many people will be running around like mad men just begging you to shoot them. When you hear something, sit and wait for them to come around a corner or try to sneak around behind them. Watching your team mates in Team Deathmatch is vital for figuring out where you enemies are. I should say communicate with your teammates, but it’s rare that you find a random team with everyone talking strategy. Let your teammates go into dangerous areas first to find out where the enemies are firing from and then take action (if it’s a closed-in area like the control room in Summit, a grenade may be a better option than going in yourself) . The mini-map is a great way to find enemies. As you see someone get killed, quickly look at your minimap to see where the fading dot is located.

5. Learn the spawn points & camping areas

This tip could also be named learn the map, but the main idea is to know where spawn points and popular camping areas are located. By knowing where the enemies are coming from and where they could be hiding, you won’t be caught looking the opposite direction. It also helps to know where the popular camping areas are because you don’t need to be 100 per cent sure an enemy is there, just toss a grenade, flash or stun into the area and wait for a hit marker, or even better, a kill. I’ve managed to get a triple kill by tossing a (lucky) grenade into one of the balconies in Havana and it ended up being on the last-kill cam to my surprise.

6. Increase sensitivity

I don’t mean be more sensitive to your fellow players, on the contrary, trash-talk to your hearts desire (but be tasteful). I mean increase your control sensitivity in the options menu. I play at a sensitivity of 4 or 5 and I know a few good players that play with it even higher. In the beginning it will be more difficult to have precise aiming but as you get use to it you will notice you will be able to position your aim much quicker. Imagine you hear footsteps quickly approaching you from behind, with low sensitivity you may not make the 180 degree turn in time, but if you jack up your sensitivity you’ll be sitting there waiting for the enemy to turn the corner.

7. Area Camp.. but not the whole match!

As said in my previous post about my favourite Black Ops class (although I’ve switch it up a bit with the Commando as the primary weapon), camping an area is a common strategy among top players. Don’t plunk yourself into a corner and think you’re good. Players will eventually figure out where you are and take you out. Just watch a few videos on YouTube of players going 30-0 and you’ll notice what I mean. Check out this video by IGN called Don’t Call it Camping! for a great example of how to play an area.

In my experience, playing a building like a Zombies match works like a charm; run from window to window (or doorway) so you have a wider view of that area. Don’t stay there forever, however, as enemies do catch on and will eventually storm that area or not venture near it. Be unpredictable.

I hope these few tips help you out in Free-For-All and Team Deathmatch. Call of Duty: Black Ops has been my most played game since it got released so learning different ways to play just makes it fresh and enjoyable. If you think of any other tips to give to newbies, feel free to post it in the comments. Ciao!